The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-11
TWO NATIONAL, EVILS.
This Country Uses the Enormous Total
of Over 7OO,OOO,OOO Gallons of
LIQUOR q. Year.

of over 7oo,ooo,ooo Gallons of
Liquor Year.
From the Baltimore american.
Among the many evils that threaten the
welfare of individuals, of families, of
society, of the nation itself, are the habitual
use of opium and of strong drink. The
figures given below, gathered from various
sources, should startle every reader having
regard for the welfare of men and of the
country, and arouse to prompt action for
the suppression OF these widespread and
terrible evils.
The quantity of grain used in the produc-
tion of alcoholic drinks alone during the
wear ended June 30, 1886, was 10, l95, 332
bushels-an increase over the amount so
used during the previous fiscal year of
1880 129 bushels. The cry of hard times is
heard; anti-poverty and other societies are
being formed, yet every year millions of
bushels of grain which should be used in the
preparation of wholesome food for the
hungry, are made up into poisons that
destroy both body and soul. Each bushel
of grain yields little more than four gal
Ions of liquor. The quantity of distilled
spirits in the United States on Oct /, 1886,
was about 9S,938,651 gallons-more than
one and half gallons to each inhabitant
of the land. The brewing in the
country during the year ended April so,
1887, amounted to % ,514, 425 barrels, against
20,319, 555 for the corresponding period
ended April 80, 1866-an increase Of nearly
Is per cent. During the fiscal year ended
June so, 1886, it appears that the number of
registered distilleries in the United States
was G, 242, twenty-seven of which were in
Maryland. The tax on distilled spirits and
beer yields revenue to the general govern
.nent of about SIS, 900, 900. At present there
are 206,970 liquor dealers known to the
government.
The consumption of distilled spirits in
this country amounts annually to about
~, 900 gallons, wines 22,067 900, beer
643, 900, 000-a total of 737, $4,000 gallons.
The LIQUOR consumed in the United States
costs the retailers about $500 900, 900 yearly;
but costs the consumers 500, 100000, which
shows profit to the saloon keepers and
middle-men of 1885 per cent. In New
York alone S250,000 a day, $1,500,000 a
week, S75, 900, 900 year are spent for strong
drink Within less than fifty years the per
capita consumption of whisky in this coun-
try has decreased 80 per cent, while that of
wine has increased 40 per cent, and of beer
ZOO per cent.
The saloons of this land, if placed side by
side, allowing twenty feet front to each,
would stretch from New York to Chicago, a
distance of 900 miles. The number of drunk
ards in the United States is estimated at
100000. There is probably one saloon for
every sixty voters. Des Moines, with a
population of upwards of 10000, has forty
saloons and $250,000 invested in breweries
and in tn? wholesale liquor trade. In Massa-
chusettS last year SO, 600 arrests were made
for drunkenness
The saloon is the foe of good government.
The rum ring is potent factor in many of
our municipal governments. The liquor
power is well organized and aggressive.
How shall it be meta Many answers to the
question have been returned. Various
methods are being tried.
A high license law insures fewer saloons.
In the State of Missouri there were, before
the high license system came into vogue,
1901 saloons and places where Intoxicating
liquors were sold; now there are but ., $50
a reduction of 621, or about one-fifth. The
drinking habit has there so declined as to
require an average of $50 persons to
support each saloon Under the old
system the 1901 dram shops yielded
an annual revenue to the State of
1890; under the new, 9, 800 yield 81, S42,
208. Chicago receives a revenue from its
saloons under high license of s., 200, 200, as
compared with $500, 900 under the old plan
In st. Paul, under the present high license
law, no new saloons have been opened since
last March, and it is expected that of the
700 saloons now open, 500 will be closed by
Jan. 1 next. Within the past few months
high license has been adopted in the States
of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Massachusetts,, Illinois, Minnesota, Michi-
gan, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
The following table, from the Vine and
Spirit ReUiet0, will show the rate of license,
ETC., in some of our large cities:
SnlAAEs